Beyond the Collar and Leash

Over the years, we all learned that many things we thought were perfectly okay for our dogs we now know can actually harm them. Take the evolution from the leash and collar to other forms of control when we walk outside with dogs

Here's Sassy on a regular collar and leash.

We switched from a collar connection more than 25 years ago when our Westie Sassy began to have a honking cough that was deemed a sign of a tracheal collapse. We alternated using a head collar and a harness for walks to keep from putting pressure on her neck.

Today, we have a wide range of options for connecting to our dogs when we are out and about in the world. For a well-behaved dog, trained to walk by your side, a comfortable collar and short leash may work perfectly.

No-Pull Harnesses
For powerful dogs, untrained dogs, or dogs with behavior issues, you may want to use a specialized harness to assist with training. We are currently using the Freedom No-Pull Harness with leashes connected to both the center of our dog Poppy’s chest and the center of her back as a training aid. Friends who walk with us are amazed at how much better Poppy has been walking by our sides with this new rig.

Ed describes it as steering with the front connection and braking with the rear. We are working towards the day when we can clip one leash on Poppy and head out the door. Right now we are happy to be making progress on her attempts to pull ahead or lag behind when she spots a truck or hears a noise that frightens her.

Head Halters
The Humane Society of the US says, “The head halter is a very humane method of restraint because it doesn't cause any pain. It works much better to stop a dog from pulling than a choke chain or prong collar.”

Most dogs do their best to rub off these halters when introduced to them. If your dog does this, the Society says, “The best strategy is to keep his head up and keep him moving by using positive verbal reinforcement and treats

Hopefully, one day, we can revert to a simple collar and leash. But for now, we are still in training mode, making progress ... but still training!

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

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